Best Body Fat Method

What do you guys think is the most accurate method of measuring bodyfat? My college is now offering free readings. They offer the “Bod Pod” composition assessment (air displacement thing) or the skin fold.

I believe the Bod Pod is about as good as it gets, though skinfolds can be quite accurate given a good pincher.

Also, Skin folds are useful because even if they are not accurate, they are precise, meaning you can get the same reading over and over again.

This is helpful because you want to see improvement over the weeks and months, so having a precise measuring tool is very helpful for tracking process, even if it is off a few percent.

So yeah, get the Bod Pod done, but keep a pair of calipers around for your own measuring.

Lonnie has the right idea, but the gold standard right now is hydrostatic weighing. This is when a person gets weighed completely submerged in water.

DEXA is getting recognition, most likely be the gold standard in the future sometime. It breaks down body composition into bone, muscle, fat. It’s just that Dexa machines are really expensive, so this is hard to find especially just to measure body fat. It’s usually used to scan bone density.

Calipers are next best, with a margin error of + or - 3.5 % depending on the experience of the administer.

[quote]HJLau75 wrote:
Lonnie has the right idea, but the gold standard right now is hydrostatic weighing. This is when a person gets weighed completely submerged in water.

DEXA is getting recognition, most likely be the gold standard in the future sometime. It breaks down body composition into bone, muscle, fat. It’s just that Dexa machines are really expensive, so this is hard to find especially just to measure body fat. It’s usually used to scan bone density.

Calipers are next best, with a margin error of + or - 3.5 % depending on the experience of the administer.[/quote]

Bod Pod would be the best of those options. But the above poster is right, DEXA is sick. I had one done during my internship. It is so precise it is incredible.

The scan I had done broke down my body into muscle, bone and fat, then went limb by limb, head and thorax and further broke down each. For instance the bone that constitutes my right rib cage is a certain amount of grams heavier than on the left ribcage. Just incredible.

I will say that the scales that promise they measure your body fat are completely worthless. Overnight, without losing my six-pack or gaining weight, I went from 10% to 14% bodyfat. I refuse to believe that.

DEXA is very good because it measures both visceral and subcutaneous fat. Calipers measure subcutaneous, but offer valuable information since you can measure how much is being lost of which area of your body.

Bioelectrical impedence isnt worth much since the variables can manipulated too easily. Eating something salty will make you appear leaner, because the salt will cause you retain water making you a better conductor of electricity and making you appear that you have less fat than you really have.

The best method to date is still a photo while holding a shoe

[quote]jp_dubya wrote:
The best method to date is still a photo while holding a shoe[/quote]

haha…awewome

  1. DEXA - The Gold Standard past 5yrs
  2. Bod pod - Accurate, doesn’t compartmentalize like the DEXA
  3. BIA - Only if you are hydrated
  4. Underwater weighing - Remaining air in the lungs becomes too much of a variable
  5. Skin Fold - Dependant on the experience of the user

This is how they are rated in my textbook “Exercise Physiology” 6th Edition
Phileaux

[quote]Phileaux wrote:

  1. DEXA - The Gold Standard past 5yrs
  2. Bod pod - Accurate, doesn’t compartmentalize like the DEXA
  3. BIA - Only if you are hydrated
  4. Underwater weighing - Remaining air in the lungs becomes too much of a variable
  5. Skin Fold - Dependant on the experience of the user

This is how they are rated in my textbook “Exercise Physiology” 6th Edition by Phileaux [/quote]

As if that isn’t an unbiased source…

Yea, DEXA is highest and bod pod second, Anything else just isn’t worth it if you need an accurate measurement for some reason

[quote]itsthetimman wrote:
Phileaux wrote:

  1. DEXA - The Gold Standard past 5yrs
  2. Bod pod - Accurate, doesn’t compartmentalize like the DEXA
  3. BIA - Only if you are hydrated
  4. Underwater weighing - Remaining air in the lungs becomes too much of a variable
  5. Skin Fold - Dependant on the experience of the user

This is how they are rated in my textbook “Exercise Physiology” 6th Edition by Phileaux

As if that isn’t an unbiased source…

Yea, DEXA is highest and bod pod second, Anything else just isn’t worth it if you need an accurate measurement for some reason[/quote]

“My textbook” as in the overpriced book I bought for one class!! If I ever wright anything longer than a thesis I’ll include my name and where you can buy it.
Phileaux

[quote]Phileaux wrote:

  1. DEXA - The Gold Standard past 5yrs
  2. Bod pod - Accurate, doesn’t compartmentalize like the DEXA
  3. BIA - Only if you are hydrated
  4. Underwater weighing - Remaining air in the lungs becomes too much of a variable
  5. Skin Fold - Dependant on the experience of the user

This is how they are rated in my textbook “Exercise Physiology” 6th Edition
Phileaux [/quote]

I use number 3…and as long as I use it under the same circumstances it is very accurate…

I have used BIA and would have to state it is variable, inconsistent and can be highly inacurrate.

I find skinfolds a better option.You can pick up a pair online. Depending on how much you are willing to spend, you can definately get a quality pair.

Since the Bod Pod is free, you might as well give it a try, and compare your results to your skinfold measurements. It would be interesting.

The mirror is also a good option because in bodybuilding and life in general, it matters how you look, not what percent your body fat is or what some device tells you it is.

A mirror. . . It’s cheep, or ask a random chick with your shirt off. . .